Improvement in wagon-jacks



J. VAN MATRE.

Wagon-Jack.

No. 219,785. Patented Sept. 16, |879.

|nelllluiilunuuinm N. PETERS, PHVDTO-LITHOGRFMER. WABRINGTON. D C.

- UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH VAN MATRE, OF CADIZ, INDIANA.

`lMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-JACKS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,785, dated September16, 1879 application filed April 14, 1879.

To all 'whom t't may concern:

. Be it known that I, J osEPH VAN MATRE, of Cadiz, in the county ofHenry, and in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wagon-Jacks;

' proved jack as arranged to raise a wagonaxle.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same after said axle has been raisedand secured in position ;h and Figs. 8 and 4 are longitudinal and`horizontal sections of the base upon lines :c .fr and z e, respectively,of Fig. 1.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The design lof my invention is4 to enable a wagon-axle to bc raised toand secured in any desired position; to which end i-t consists in thedevice as a whole, its several parts being constructed and combined tooperate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as hereinafterset forth.

In carrying out my invention I preferably employ as part of 'my jack apair of tongs which were patented by me upon the 5th day of June, 1877,in which the jaws'a are made adjustable toward or from each other bymeans of obliquely-formed pivotal openings a within each section or armA of the tongs, which openings are arranged at opposite angles from eachother, and receive a pivotal bolt, B, that, by suitable mechanism, ismade4 adjustable lengthwise of -said pivotal openings, the result beingthat the movement of said bolt toward or from the ends of said jaws willcause the latter to be moved toward or from each other, respectively, bywhich arrangement said tongs may be rendered capable of grasping anyarticle which has a thickness between the limits to which said jaws maybe moved. y

One arm, A', of the tongs is inserted within a base, C, which base has acylindrical upward-tapering form, and has such breadth at its lower endas to enable it to stand/firmly upon a iioor or the ground.

The base C is provided with a vertical opening, c, which extends fromthe upper end nearly to the lower end of said base, has a rectangularshape in horizontal section, is arranged at one side of .the axialcenter, and within the side next to said center is provided with aseries ot' notches or steps, c', that have horizontal lower ends.

The body of the arm or standard A is contained within the opening c,while its lower end, a2, has an outward and a downward i11- clination,which enables it to extend into either of the notches c', and whenresting upon the bottom of said notch it sustains said standard andprevents the same from dropping down ward.

In one direction the opening c has such dimensions as to permit thenecessary freedom of motion of the standard A', while in the oppositedirection-in a line with the side 'containing the notches c-said openinghas such dimensions as to enable the angular lower end, c2, of saidstandard to be turned laterally in either direction out of its notch, inwhich position said end offers no resistance to the free verticalmovement of said standard.

The construction described enablesA the standard Al to be adjusted toand secured in the desired vertical position beneath the axle of awagon, after which the operation of the jack is as follows, viz: The armA is raised to a horizontal position and its jaw a passed beheath theaxle D, as shown in Fig. 1, after which said arm is moved downwardagainst the base C, and secured in position by means of a hook, E, thatis pivoted to or upon said base. The arm A operates as a lever, and itsjaw raises the axle D, as shown by dotted lines of Fig. 2, after whichsaid jaw, in con nection with the opposite jaw, a., acts as a clamp, andholds said axle firmly in place, said jaws having previously beenadjusted to such relative position as to enable them to grasp said axlewhen moved inward, as shown.

By thus clamping the axle rmly within the upper end of the jack, nonecessity" exists for blocking the wheels of a wagon to prevent the samefrom moving, it being impracticable for said jack to turn upon said axle'or for the lat ter to change position without dragging the former alongthe floor or ground.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and In testimony that I claim theforegoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of April7 1879.

JOSEPH VAN MATRE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM VEST, F. H. JOHNSTON.

